Animal Behavior alumna and now NSF Graduate Fellow, Katy Goldey (previously Siciliano) has a new paper out in Hormones and Behavior (a highly respected peer-reviewed journal) called “Sexy thoughts: Effects of sexual cognitions on testosterone, cortisol, and arousal in women”.  Katy currently pursues her Ph.D. in Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan.

Hormones and Behavior

Research Highlights

  • Sexual thoughts increase testosterone in women not using hormonal contraceptives.
  • Hormonal contraceptive use reverses testosterone responses to sexual thoughts.
  • Sexual thoughts do not change cortisol.
  • Higher baseline testosterone predicts larger increases in sexual arousal.
  • Higher baseline testosterone predicts smaller testosterone increases.

 

Related Content